4.30.2009

9 Weeks: Single Digit Countdown

How Big is the Baby at 31 Weeks Pregnant?

Your baby keeps gaining weight rapidly by pregnancy week 31. By 31 weeks pregnant your baby will weigh almost 3 and a half pounds and will be about 18 inches long!

Your Baby's Growth and Development

Your baby is busy accumulating layers of fat under her skin as you continue your pregnancy week by week. The arms, legs and body start to fill out and look less wrinkly as each week progresses. Your baby may be finding the space in your womb tighter and tighter by 31 weeks pregnant. You may also feel more and more uncomfortable by pregnancy at 31 weeks as your baby continues to grow and the space in your womb decreases each week.

Though your baby's movements should continue to be strong, they will likely be less dramatic and sporadic at this point in your pregnancy. You may see an arm slowly moving across your belly. You will probably start realizing just how strong your unborn baby is from here on out. Kicks and sudden movement changes may cause you to gasp unexpectedly, much to the delight and amazement of onlookers.

*****

Last night I experienced my first bout of Braxton Hicks. I was concerned at first because the pain was so intense. I calmed down a bit when I realized that they weren't getting longer or worse... they were just getting old! My belly is known in our home as "Ginormica." It is huge! The sad part is that my boobs are just as big! At least I'm not looking disproportionate... to say the least.

As far as bed rest goes, I have been keeping busy... taking naps, working on baby shower garb, trying to figure out genealogy on PAF, playing with Sumo and watching Hulu.com

Any suggestions for bed rest???

Lcpl Armitage

Yesterday, Andrew received a call from his Sergeant give him the news that he will not be attending the MOS school starting in May. As much of a relief that this is in the present, it can only mean that he will be attending either the June-July session or the August-September session. If he were to be given orders for the June-July session, he would definitely miss the birth of Londyn... unless she came frightfully early, or heaven forbid- LATE! Yuck. We have hope that he will be sent in August, so he can be here for the birth of our baby girl. Also, if he were to go in August he would still be back in time to start school in the Fall. On top of that, Londyn and I could potentially travel out to North Carolina to see daddy for a couple of weeks while he is training. We are praying for Heavenly Father to provide us with the faith and strength to withstand the uncertainty. I am quickly learning as a new Marine wife that there are no guarantees in the military. As a military wife and soon-to-be mother, I know that these experiences can only make our family stronger and am immensely comforted to know that will be together for all eternity.

Another quick note that I'd like to share is that we found out that Andrew's former unit in Utah will be deployed August 3rd, 2009. My heart goes out to the families and especially the wives that will be affected by this deployment. They have been home only a year since they returned from a long 7 months in Iraq. This time, Afghanistan. I pray that those families, our friends... will have peace and comfort at this time.

***SUMO-NATOR ***

At 16 weeks old Sumo is growing big and strong! We can definitely tell a difference in growth since he's joined our family. In the last few weeks he has had 2 play dates with his cousin Maggie which has been a bitter-sweet reunion, as she is still not too fond of his existence. I think she's just afraid that the lil' "runt" is trying to rain on her parade over at the Christensen home. On Monday, Sumo played with his other cousin Jack over at the Milne farm and that was a whole other story. They were best friends and loved every minute of wrestling and play time. Sumo was pretty worn out and slept the rest of that evening.

Today I took him for his first appointment with the groomer. He was a lil' antsy and scared at first but warmed up to the environment quickly. It took about an hour and a half to finish his makeover. Boy, does he look like an entirely new fella. His Yorkie features are much more prominent with his Poodle-curl trimmed off. Sumo isn't as fluffy as we'd like him to be, but he is still our little pup.

BEFORE:
AFTER:

At the moment, potty-training is going very well! He hasn't had any accidents in the last few days. We are crossing our fingers that he will maintain this good record.


4.28.2009

Hypotension = Bedrest

Today I had my regular 2 week visit with Nan, my Nurse Midwife. She is fantastic and I truly adore her! She took my blood pressure and noticed that it was lower than usual. I have a history of low blood pressure, black out episodes and fainting. When I told her of my history, she got concerned. She then took my blood pressure in several different positions. It kept getting lower and lower. My lowest was in a standing position, reading at 92/54. Now in the past I have had readings that were even lower than that, but since being pregnant my blood pressure has been at a steady low... but a good low, not a scary low. She then asked me questions about work and my every day whereabouts. Nan decided to put me on a mild bed-rest consisting of no more working, no driving and lots of sitting and sleeping. Sounds pretty nice right? For only so long will I enjoy this new lifestyle for the next 9 weeks. Especially with Andrew leaving, my midwife is concerned about me fainting or having an episode in his absence... when home alone. So she wants me to really take it easy. I can definitely take it easy... but really?! No driving?! I love my home but am not so thrilled about this "mild" lock down. At least I have Sumo. Andrew will be gone and back before I know it.
Any good tips for bed-rest???


4.23.2009

The Belly: 30 Weeks

How Big is the Baby at 30 Weeks Pregnant?
By 30 weeks pregnant your baby weighs almost 3 pounds and is just about 17 inches long!

Your Baby's Growth and Development
Your baby is continuing to grow and develop during pregnancy at 30 weeks, filling out your uterus more and more every day. You have probably noticed an arm or leg moving across your belly at one time or another. Many parents have a lot of fun playing "guess the body part" as their unborn baby moves underneath mom's belly during pregnancy 30 weeks. This game is even more interesting as your pregnancy week by week continues. A hard round lump is likely either the head or your baby's bottom, whereas a longer flat surface may be your baby's back. Your health care provider may be able to help you identify your baby's bumps and lumps at your next prenatal visit.
The volume of amniotic fluid in your belly will slowly start to decrease as your baby starts to take up more and more space in your belly.

Your Growth and Development
Your uterus is now about 4 inches above your belly button at pregnancy week 30. You are now in the home stretch of pregnancy by pregnancy at 30 weeks, and quickly running out of room to expand!

I have been working twice a week since we moved here and have really appreciated the opportunity to be employed and to contribute to our financial needs. This past week I was offered a third day to work. At first I was stoked because we need the money and it will help me to stay busy while Andrew is gone. The downfall is that the responsibilities and tasks that I plan to do on my days off are now crammed into two days. I am wearing myself out and having had reality set in, I am cutting back one of my days to a 1/2 day... working a total of 2 1/2 days per week. This will still help financially, keep me busy but also keep me somewhat sane.
My feet are swollen on a regular basis these days. They were especially puffy during those few hot days we had this last week. Food isn't as frequent, but don't get me wrong... a large french fry and soft-serve ice cream cone from McD's is never rejected by this prego Mama. Every night I have a pretty basic routine. I fall asleep at first and then wake up anywhere between 11:30PM and 2AM. I then roll out of bed and take a bath to try and relax. Finally, after my bath I go into the nursery, shut the door... turn on the light and just enjoy the thought that my baby will be here with us soon. I look at all of her clothes hanging in the closet; her lil' shoes and hair bows. Momentarily, it makes the lack of sleep all worth it. Usually, I am relaxed enough by then to crawl into bed and snuggle with my hubby. Eventually I fall back to sleep.
Andrew will be heading off to North Carolina in about 2 weeks. It is still surreal that he will be gone for an entire month. Every day I get pretty emotional about the situation. I think about all of the little things he does and is for our family. I am so grateful that he is not being sent overseas for a much longer period of time. It is training and he will be safe. I will get to talk to him frequently on the phone and the time difference is minimal compared to when he was in Iraq. I am truly blessed to have Andrew in my life. Heavenly Father really nailed it on the head with that one!

4.21.2009

Sumo: The Naughty Dog


Sunday morning, we woke up and Andrew went downstairs to let Sumo out to go potty. Boy, were we in for a surprise! He had chewed a Sumo-sized hole through the mesh of his crate, chewed up all of the toilet paper, chewed an even bigger hole in the ironing board pad and cover which he has attacked before but made it worse, and to top it off... left his signature of poo and pee. Why did we get a dog... you ask? We ask ourselves the same question when these very incidents take place. Well, because he's SO DANG cute! And he really is a good puppy... just doing normal puppy things.

Last night we went to PETCO and got him a new PLASTIC crate with metal doors so he can't chew through them. We also got him a couple toys. Everyone there adored Sumo. When we were in the store, I told Andrew that this experience for Sumo was just like that euphoric and perfect feeling that I get when I walk into Nordstroms. It is genuinely an untouchable feeling, and that's the same look I saw in Sumo's eyes! So true!

When we got home we gave Sumo a bath because earlier in the day he was playing outside while Daddy was working on the yard. Sumo decided to roll around in the sap-covered dirt filled with pine cones and who knows what else.

The Belly - 29 weeks

We are now 20 weeks! The reality is starting to set in... that in around 11 weeks, our lives will be changing immensely! We love Londyn so much already and cannot wait to hold her in our arms.

The nursery is pretty much finished and looking absolutely adorable, but I don't want to post pictures until it is officially done. I am almost certain that she will love her little nest.

Andrew has been working so hard around the house getting things in order and functional before he leaves. He has made a HUGE list for himself and just keeps checking things off! I am so blessed to have married a talented man who can virtually get anything and everything done in my eyes. You name it, and he can make it happen! It's fantastic!

Londyn has been moving a ton lately! Last night when we were trying to sleep, she had other plans in mind. She was kicking, rolling... flipping... you name it, she was doin' it! Andrew loves it when he can feel the baby's movement.

As for me, I am feeling VERY prego! It seems as if all of the elements of pregnancy are going strong at the moment. I am literally peeing every 20 mins... which is oh-so convenient when I'm at work. I'm so emotional that I cry at the drop of a hat. I waddle... because of my size but mostly because I'm so uncomfortable. Sleep is a joke... and I still eat everything in sight. It's all such an experience, almost as if it's not my own body. As much as I complain, the thought of having my healthy baby in our family makes it all worth it (at least most of the time) haha

4.18.2009

Sumo Love

Sumo has been with us for 3 weeks now and we love him! (most of the time) haha We have to remember that he is just a puppy and that puppy's make accidents. Overall he has been a fantastic pet and very trainable. Although, when he peed on the brand new faux fur rug in the nursery yesterday, I wanted to kill him! We are still very happy with our decision to keep Sumo and he is part of our family now. No regrets. He is the puppy/pet we've always wanted! Sumo is doing much better in his potty-training, loves car rides, playing with his toys and snuggling with Mom and Dad. We love our Sumo.

Andrew Scissorhands


Last Saturday, April 11th, Andrew and I made a visit to the ER. He was cutting branches with a hand saw... about 20 to 30 ft. up in one of the trees in our backyard. As one of the branches was falling to the ground, it took the saw with it and sliced Andrew's finger several times. He calls me while I'm out running errands and asks about how far away I am... I said 15 mins- in reality I was about 5 mins away but wanted to stop and get some Easter surprises for him from Walgreens. Well, my commute was cut short when he proceeded to tell me... "well, no rush or anything but... I kinda cut my finger... and I think I might need stitches... BUT don't rush or anything. It's fine." Ummm... in my mind, if MY husband actually thinks he may need stitches... it's probably worse than he's telling me. I rushed home... found several of the neighbors, including the Odom kids who were playing with Sumo, tell me "Brother Armitage cut himself and he's bleeding all over the place!" I rush in .... and the man is upstairs changing out of his grubby clothes and into something a bit more cleaned up. In a panic, I still managed to laugh... that I found him nonchalantly dressing for the ER occasion. We headed out to the Newberg Providence Medical Center and went through the 3-hour lengthy process just to get my husband 5 stitches. They gave him a tetanus shot, stitches, a stint, some antibiotics and then we were off on our way. It was exactly how I envisioned our Saturday night to go... NOT!



4.08.2009

Baby Love: 28 weeks

How Big is the Baby at 28 Weeks Pregnant?:
By 28 weeks pregnant your baby is 15.75 inches or more! She weighs in at about 2 and a half pounds during pregnancy at 28 weeks!

Your Baby's Growth ad Development:
Up until now if you were to look at your baby's brain during your pregnancy week by week it would appear smooth. By about 28 weeks pregnant however this changes, as the brain starts to mature and form grooves that we commonly associate with a human brain. Your baby may also be growing longer hair on her head by pregnancy at 28 weeks, though many babies will come out bald at birth. Others will be born with lovely locks of hair that will fall out and even change color some time after delivery.

Your baby should also be sprouting eyelashes by pregnancy 28 weeks, which will blink repeatedly if you were to shine a bright light on your belly.

Womenshealthcaretopics.com

*******
Londyn is getting more and more active every day. She is constantly movin' and groovin' in da' belly. She is making known to the world... "look out, here I come!" As for me, my new strut has developed into a fine art of waddling. You laugh, but trust me... it's not pretty. My body is getting more and more sore as I am getting bigger. My doctor highly recommended a belly cradle... somewhat of a twisted contraption that I wear under my clothes to support my aching back and belly. It helps significantly but you definitely won't be seeing it on the runways of Vogue anytime soon. It's not the hottest number in my closet.

My appetite is not as ravenous... and has slowed down quite a bit. I still love food but my portions aren't as large as they were even a few weeks ago. As for my diabetic-scare, I found out today that I passed my 3-hr glucose tolerance test! I do not have gestational diabetes!
I will continue to eat WHATEVER I want, WHEN I want.

Andrew started painting Londyn's room today. I can't wait to get started on decorating! I wanted to wait until we were finished with the downstairs living areas to be decorated and organized before we begun "project nursery." I want to enjoy this time with Andrew, creating an oasis of a room for our baby girl.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Andrew will be attending MOS training in North Carolina for a month, starting May 11th through June 12th. I knew that this event was coming, we just were not certain when or where. Initially when we moved here, his new unit told him that they would probably be able to send him in April as to avoid nearing our baby's due date and to get it taken care of. Unfortunately, the Marine Corps... as with the military in general, things don't always go as planned. I am in no way, shape or form anticipating his departure but am blessed that he will be back 3 weeks prior to my due date. Before the news of his leaving, I was crossing my fingers for a couple weeks early... considering I am not one of those women who just LOoOoOves being prego... but now my hopes have changed. I want Londyn to stay in this rapidly-growing belly of mine, safe and sound until her daddy can be present for her arrival.

I have been extremely emotional... tearing up randomly over Andrew being gone for an entire month... especially the last month of just us two, the last month being uncomfortably pregnant... the last month to prepare for our baby... the last month before our life will turn upside down. I know these feelings are ridiculously selfish. I blame the hormones... but secretly, I am just not as strong without him. Andrew knows how to "handle" me... comfort me and make everything all right. He has become the world's greatest security blanket over these last 9 months of marriage and I am eternally grateful for his existence in my life.

Every chance that I can muster up a positive outlook on this situation is leading me to many points of optimism.
  • At least he will be in North Carolina vs. overseas
  • It's only 4 weeks
  • I can communicate with him via phone, text, or e-mail
  • He will be safe
  • He will have food, a roof over his head and many to relate with in the same boat
  • We have no need to worry about financial security during his month of absence
  • And much more!
Now is the time for me to be encouraging and supportive as this event will not only be difficult for me, but very hard on my husband. I am so grateful for a diligent and obedient husband. Our family will grow immensely from this experience!

4.05.2009

Weekly Tidbits

I've been sitting in the living room... bored out of my mind, waiting for Andrew to get home from drill... which will occur in who know's how many hours. So I will do the inevitable. Blog.

Oh how the week flew by! This last week we have been getting our house in order, arranging... re-arranging, and of course... LIFE!

The first couple of days in the house were chaos... not knowing or having a place for our belongings just yet, and "good" sleep was out of the question. It still felt a lil' foreign to me. Andrew is used to living in all sorts of different situations so the change was no biggie for him.

On Wednesday, our appliances came which allowed for organizing of the kitchen to begin. Thursday the awaited pantry/cabinet arrived and completed the kitchen setup. I have to admit I was avoiding the distributing and organizing of kitchen items and food because it was far too overwhelming for me! So... what do ya do... what a predicament such as this one arrives? Call Mom! So I did just that. She gave me exactly what I needed. Direction and endurance to complete the nasty task. Thanks Mama Mia!

On Tuesday, I went to my first office visit with Nurse Midwife, Nan Macy. I was a little nervous to meet her as I really wanted to like her! I am done switching OB providers. Verdict: fabulous! She is exactly what I've been looking for in a baby-doctor. What didn't I like about the visit... the amount of glucose showing up in my urinalysis.... ugh. Just what I need, right? So...Thursday rolled around and I went to the Newberg Providence to have a 1-hr. Glucose Tolerance test done, per my midwife, Nan Macy ... and I failed miserably. Now I have to do a 3-hr. Glucose test and if I fail that as well... I foresee Gestational Diabetes and a not so prego-friendly diet in the near future. I have to conduct a special diet for 3 days prior to having the next test. I will start that tomorrow and take the test this upcoming Thursday. Wish me luck!

Now... this next event is the result of a pregnant woman with outrageous hormones + new home/nesting syndrome = pregnant woman hates couch and must get a replacement ASAP! After we moved in... the couch and chair in our living room turned out to be far too oversized for our space. Of course this is no big deal to my husband and everyone else... but to me, the end of the world! Andrew told me that if I could sell our existing furniture, I could use that money to buy new ones. Isn't he reasonable? Anyway, I did just that! Found fabulous new furniture on Craigslist for an amazing price, sold the old stuff and am now sittin' pretty on my new sofa! After all was said and done- Andrew expressed my favorite quote passed down from my father-in-law to my husband... "happy wife, happy life."

And last but not least... Andrew has been enduring Drill yesterday and today. He is finally on his way home... as I blog, in fact. Poor guy is pooped! He had uniform inspection and a PFT.
I can't wait to have him back home!

4.01.2009

Charity Event for All!

You are invited to a Sherwood Community event!

Chinese Auction Fundraiser

Thursday, April 2
6 - 8 PM
Drawings begin at 7:00PM
Sherwood Police Station

What is a Chinese Auction, you ask? Here's how it works: cost of entrance is $1 and something of value over $10. It could be a service, a handmade item, a vase, a gift basket... you get the idea. No gag gifts or used items please, unless of course it is an antique. Be creative! Upon entering, your gift will be exchanged for 6 tickets. All gifts will be placed on tables with bowls in front of them. You put your 6 tickets in the bowls in front of the items you would like to win. Then the fun really begins! We draw tickets to see who wins! Because 6 tickets are never enough, you can buy more for just $1 each, or 12 for $10. The following charities will benefit:

Tualatin Food Bank
Meridian Park Hospital
Tualatin Caring Closet
Boys and Girls Aid
Doernbecher
LDS Humanitarian
Sherwood Police Dept.
Avamere Rehabilitation Center

Everyone who enters must bring an item, and all are invited! This is a community event!

Come this Thursday to join in the fun, and feel free to invite your friends and neighbors. Anyone in the community who would like to help this charitable effort is welcome!